|
It
|
was
|
nearing
|
midnight
|
and
|
the
|
Prime
|
Minister
|
was
|
sitting
|
alone
|
in
|
his
|
office,
|
reading
|
a
|
long
|
memo
|
that
|
was
|
slipping
|
through
|
his
|
brain
|
without
|
|
|
leaving
|
the
|
slightest
|
trace
|
of
|
meaning
|
behind.
|
He
|
was
|
waiting
|
for
|
a
|
call
|
from
|
the
|
President
|
of
|
a
|
far
|
distant
|
country,
|
and
|
between
|
wondering
|
when
|
|
|
the
|
wretched
|
man
|
woul
|
telephone,
|
and
|
trying
|
to
|
suppress
|
unpleasant
|
memories
|
of
|
what
|
had
|
been
|
a
|
very
|
long,
|
tiring,
|
and
|
difficult
|
week,
|
there
|
was
|
not
|
|
|
much
|
space
|
in
|
his
|
head
|
for
|
anything
|
else.
|
The
|
more
|
he
|
attempted
|
to
|
focus
|
on
|
the
|
print
|
on
|
the
|
page
|
before
|
him,
|
the
|
more
|
clearly
|
|
|
the
|
Prime
|
Minister
|
could
|
see
|
the
|
gloating
|
face
|
of
|
one
|
of
|
his
|
political
|
opponents.
|
This
|
particular
|
opponent
|
had
|
appeared
|
on
|
the
|
news
|
that
|
very
|
day,
|
|
|
not
|
only
|
to
|
enumerate
|
all
|
the
|
terrible
|
things
|
that
|
had
|
happened
|
in
|
the
|
last
|
week
|
(as
|
though
|
anyone
|
needed
|
reminding)
|
but
|
also
|
to
|
explain
|
why
|
|
|
each
|
and
|
every
|
one
|
of
|
them
|
was
|
the
|
government's
|
fault.
|
The
|
Prime
|
Minister's
|
pulse
|
quickened
|
at
|
the
|
very
|
thought
|
of
|
these
|
accusations,
|
for
|
they
|
were
|
|
|
neither
|
fair
|
nor
|
true.
|
How
|
on
|
earth
|
was
|
his
|
government
|
supposed
|
to
|
have
|
stopped
|
that
|
bridge
|
collapsing?
|
It
|
was
|
outrageous
|
for
|
anybody
|
to
|
suggest
|
that...
|
|